Comments on April 2008 Survey Question #1

As a Yankees fan, I’m mostly satisfied. The Yankees are 13-13 and just 1.5 games out of first. Hughes & Kennedy haven’t been good while Jeter, A-Rod and Posada have all missed time. Giambi hasn’t been great either but I’m not sure how much we can expect out of him. Bruney is out of the season and Posada might be too with the news of his shoulder injury.

Not a lot has gone right and New York is right there. Even with all that happening, it still seems likely that New York will win 90+ games and factor into the playoff race. I guess I’m think from a development standpoint that I’d be concentrating more on 2009 and 2010 because I think those years could be a beginning on a run like from 1996-2003 if New York plays it right within the organization.

On a tangent, what do you think about New York making hard pushes for both Mark Teixeira and Adam Dunn in the offseason? They are both free agents after this season and New York has a lot coming off the books. Both will be age-29 in 2009 and Teixeira fills a void at 1B while Dunn fills a void at DH and can fill in at LF.

On a tangent, what do you think about New York making hard pushes for both Mark Teixeira and Adam Dunn in the offseason? They are both free agents after this season and New York has a lot coming off the books. Both will be age-29 in 2009 and Teixeira fills a void at 1B while Dunn fills a void at DH and can fill in at LF.

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p-a-s-s. pass.

We are just about to get rid of an Adam Dunn type player (giambi) why would we add another? And honestly I’m not as high on Tex as everyone else…I can definitly forseee a big flop outta that guy. I’d rather not sign either of those 2, keep shelley/jorge at first, and molina/posada backing up at catcher.

Well, I’m on record as wanting Teixeira at first base. Any reason why you see a flop coming from him? He’s been a consistent player.

Unless Eric Duncan suddenly and unexpectedly shows he can hit, they really don’t have anything from within. In Tex they get a good first baseman who can mash and he’s still young. It seems like the perfect fit to me.

Adam Dunn is worth a debate, I guess, but until they truly get rid of all the old players on this team, they need to keep the DH spot open.

I’ve been shocked by people who say “we’ll just move Jorge over to first.” That might have to happen — but if it does, the Yankees have egg on their faces. They just gave this guy a monster deal because he’s a durable, offensively great catcher. If he ALREADY has to go to first, then this deal was a joke. They figured by year four he would be a 1B/DH, but already? Jorge is a great player, but there would have been zero reason to give him four years if he’s a first baseman.

Tex will be fine as he started off much more athletic than Giambi or Dunn. I love the idea of Dunn for the next 2 yrs as he’s a great OPS guy but after that he’s Giambi except he’s never hit for avg which means he might be out of baseball.

Dunn’s PA:BB is 6.1 while Giambi’s was 9.5. Dunn has superior plate discipline and has twice as many plate appearances as Giambi at the same age. Dunn is simply that much more accomplished than Giambi at the same age. He had more power, better plate discipline and more experience. Plus, we could debate this all day long but I think the steroid accusations have to be accounted for to some degree. Giambi is good no question, but that 29-31 year peak was incredible and doesn’t add up kind of. Plus, they are different players. According to Baseball-Reference, Giambi lists at 6-2/200 while Dunn is a beast at 6-6/240.

As for Teixeira, I don’t see the flop coming. He’s been a beast so far and I don’t think you can say that he’s even hit his peak yet.

If you believe a player’s prime years are between 27-32, then at 29, both Teixeira and Dunn have at least 4 prime years left. This isn’t signing Giambi when he was already age 31 meaning the Yankees could hope for 2 prime years and his age-31 and age-32 seasons were pretty good to great really. But signing Giambi for those kinds of dollars until he was 37-38 was folly, not signing Giambi himself.

I’d be leery of looking at New York in a vacuum. Montero looks great so far this season, but he’s got significant contact problems and plate discipline problems. So far he’s K:BB ratio is 9 to 1 and his AB:BB is 50+! Posada is older and his bat isn’t nearly as valuable at 1B as it would be at catcher and Jeter at 1B is not a good option for the same reaons. Their bats can’t carry the position.

Steve posted the other week about how the Yankees might have only 2 legitimate power threats in A-Rod and Matsui and I have doubts about Matsui being labeled as such. Not going after any pop isn’t going to make that problem go away. Whether or not Teixiera or Dunn wind up in pinstripes, this still is the Yankees so being fiscally responsible is a good thing, but it also allows to go out and get some players. The other aspect is that teams in the East are getting good not to mention the rest of the AL.

Posada is 37 next season while Jeter will be 35. Those guys are long in the tooth. With Matsui & Damon being 35, the players have to come from somewhere and keeping around players who have neither won a ring with the Yankees or haven’t since 2000 isn’t working and hasn’t.

I stand corrected on the topic of Adam Dunn. Good arguments! However I do have to disagree to some extent on Montero. Aside from being very young, if I was hitting .360 I wouldn’t be walking much either. And the K rate when viewed in the context of per AB really isn’t bad for a power hitter.